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How to uninstall Google Drive on Mac completely

Google Drive for desktop syncs your files with your Google account, so remove it in order: let it finish syncing, disconnect the account, then delete the app. Files already in Google Drive stay in your account. Its Finder extensions, settings and caches stay on the Mac until you remove them.

Uninstaller: a list of apps sorted by size with when each was last opened, Google Chrome selected with its app and cache sizes
  1. Open MacWashing and choose Uninstaller in the sidebar.
  2. Click Show Apps and check Google Drive in the list.
  3. Click Remove and confirm. Files that may be yours are listed as Possible and stay unchecked.
Download MacWashingHow it works

Free trial · macOS 14 or later

Before you start: let Drive finish syncing

Click the Google Drive icon in the menu bar and wait until it no longer shows files being uploaded. Files you added or changed on this Mac reach your Google account only after they are uploaded.

Google warns that files which failed to sync may have been moved to Drive’s Lost & Found folder, and that this folder is deleted when you disconnect the account. Its usual place is ~/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS/lost_and_found. Copy anything you find there to a safe place first.

Disconnect your account

  1. Click the Google Drive icon in the menu bar.
  2. Click your profile picture and choose Disconnect account.
  3. In the window that appears, click OK.

Google notes that when you disconnect, files you made available offline are removed from the Mac. The files themselves stay in your Google Drive.

Then delete Google Drive in Finder

  1. Quit Google Drive: click its icon in the menu bar, open Settings (the gear) and choose Quit.
  2. Open Finder › Applications, right-click Google Drive and choose Move to Trash.
  3. Enter your administrator password if macOS asks for it.

What Google Drive leaves behind

Check these places. All of them are in the Library folder inside your home folder:

  • ~/Library/Application Support/FileProvider/com.google.drivefs.fpext — what macOS keeps for Google Drive under Locations in Finder.
  • ~/Library/Containers/com.google.drivefs.fpext — the extension that shows Google Drive in Finder.
  • ~/Library/Containers/com.google.drivefs.finderhelper and ~/Library/Containers/com.google.drivefs.finderhelper.findersync — the Finder helpers for sync status and menu items.
  • ~/Library/Group Containers/EQHXZ8M8AV.group.com.google.drivefs — data shared between the app and its extensions.
  • ~/Library/Caches/com.google.drivefs — the cache.
  • ~/Library/Preferences/com.google.drivefs.plist — settings.
  • ~/Library/Google/Drive — left by the older Google Drive app, if you used it.

Remove the leftovers by hand

  1. In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder (Shift-Command-G), type a path from the list above and press Return.
  2. Move the folder or file to the Trash.
  3. Repeat for the other paths.
  4. Restart your Mac, then empty the Trash.

Google Drive isn’t the only app that leaves files behind: see how to uninstall apps on Mac completely.

With MacWashing, it’s one click

Uninstaller: a list of apps sorted by size with when each was last opened, Google Chrome selected with its app and cache sizes

The Uninstaller in MacWashing knows the files Google Drive creates in your Library folder and removes them together with the app, its Finder extensions included. Folders that may hold your own files are listed as Possible and stay unchecked until you check them yourself.

Download MacWashingHow it works

Free trial · macOS 14 or later

Questions and answers

Will MacWashing delete my own files when it removes Google Drive?

No. The Uninstaller checks only what belongs to the app: its settings, caches, logs and background items. Folders that may hold your own files are listed as Possible and stay unchecked until you check them yourself, and apps go to the Trash by default, so you can put them back.

What if Google Drive is still running?

MacWashing waits for it to quit, or quits it at your request, and only then removes its files.

Is it free to uninstall Google Drive with MacWashing?

Yes, within the free trial: System Junk and the Uninstaller free up to 25 GB in total, with no account or card needed.

Will uninstalling Google Drive delete my files?

No. Files already uploaded stay in your Google account and open at drive.google.com. Only the offline copies on this Mac are removed when you disconnect the account.

What about files that haven’t synced yet?

Wait until Drive has finished uploading before you disconnect. Files that failed to sync may be in Drive’s Lost & Found folder, which is deleted on disconnect, so copy them out first.

Can I reinstall Google Drive later?

Yes. Download Drive for desktop again from Google and sign in. Your files appear in Finder again.